


Conflict

by CanonicallySoulmates



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite, Episode: s14e02 Gods and Monsters, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-08-07 16:55:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16412327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanonicallySoulmates/pseuds/CanonicallySoulmates
Summary: In a rare moment of silence in the Bunker, Jack finds Sam doing research in the library. Under florescent lights and surrounded by books Sam and Jack have a long overdue talk about Dean and Michael.





	Conflict

**Author's Note:**

> I had a lot of mixed emotions about Jack saying to let Dean die in 14.02 and this is my way of dealing with them; usually when i have mixed emotions about something I go on a ramble or a rant as a way to figure out how I feel or what I think, in this case I ended up writing a fic.
> 
> This is what I think Jack meant to say, but was badly written in the show.

 The lack of the hustle and bustle of hunters coming in and out, reporting on their latest hunts or getting ready for new ones as has become the norm after Dean got taken by Michael, made for an unusually quiet night in the bunker.

Jack enjoyed the silence, it gave him a break from the constant talk of hunts, and of finding Dean and stopping Michael that made him feel even more useless than usual; before he had a place, a purpose, he could help out on hunts, and could try to protect others against Michael, if he had his grace he probably could be more help with tracking Dean, but that’s all changed since he got his grace stolen from him, he doesn’t know how to hunt without powers, the onetime Sam let him go on a hunt he screwed up, he has no powers he can use to help find Dean or save him, and if Michael attacks there’s nothing he can do to protect his family.   

He feels like a lost child.

\-------

Tonight it’s just him and Sam in the bunker, at first he thought of spending the night locked up in his room, but the truth is he misses Sam, he’s been so busy with the other hunters, being a leader and looking for Dean that Jack’s barely seen him, which is why he finds himself in the bunker’s library. Nine times out of ten if Sam is in the bunker, he’s in the library, making plans, giving out orders, conducting research; tonight’s no different, Sam’s slumped over a mess of books that cover the whole table, more research on how to stop Michael and save Dean no doubt. 

“Have you found anything?” Jack whispers as he sits across Sam.

Sam looks surprised at the question, this is the first time Jack’s actively asked him about Dean since the night in the church. Not out of lack of care, or lack of trying but it felt weird to ask him about it, Jack’s not sure how he fits into the family anymore, if he can ask questions or if he’s just supposed to follow orders.

 “No. Not yet.” Sam’s voice is raspy from lack of use, and the fluorescent library lights highlight how exhausted he is; Jack swears every time he sees him he looks more and more tired.

“Can I…help?”

Sam’s reply comes in the form of handing Jack a pile of books with a small smile.

\-------

They’ve been at it for three hours, they haven’t made any progress, and Jack’s neck is starting to kill him, he might be young but he’s still not used to the aches and pains that come with being fully human. Sam’s given up on sitting, and has been pacing up and down with a book in hand for the last half hour.  

“What happens if you can’t save Dean?”,  Jack doesn’t know why he asked the question, maybe he’s too tired, or maybe it’s the hopelessness he’s starting to feel. Maybe this is what happens when you go too long without talking about something.

Sam stops pacing, and for a minute Jack hopes he didn’t hear him, “What?”

“What happens if you can’t save Dean?”   

“Jack-“ Sam’s voice cracks and it’s almost enough to stop Jack from continuing.

Almost.

“Sam, Michael needs to be stopped.”

“And he will be.”

“But not unless you get Dean first, right? But what if you can’t get Dean out? What if Michael doesn’t let go? What then? Michael must be stopped, even- even if it means Dean dies.”

Sam’s breath hitches- and Jack hates himself a bit, hurting him was not Jack’s intention but the words have already been said and he can’t take them back- “Jack, where is this coming from?”  

 “I’m- Sam, I don’t want Dean dead. I don’t. But Michael…he’s dangerous; I saw what he did to that other world. I saw him and his army hurt innocent people, if you don’t stop him-“

Sam cuts him off before he can finish, “He’ll do the same thing to this world. I know.”

“Sam, you know Dean better than anyone, you know if it came down between him and the rest of the world he’d sacrifice himself. I’m not saying killing him is our only option, or that we kill Michael and forget about Dean. But you need to start considering the possibility that there might not be a way to save him.”

Jack would give anything for a group of hunters to barge through the bunker doors, or Mary or Bobby, or even Nick to appear if it meant getting away from the now stifling silence. Sam walks around the table and crumbles against it like he’s had his strings cut next to Jack.  

“Jack. I get that you’re scared and angry. I do. You- you shouldn’t have seen the things you did, and I get that you don’t have your powers and it makes you feel defenseless. But…Michael will be stopped and Dean will be saved. Because we’re going to figure it out. This is not the first hopeless situation we’ve found ourselves in and it probably won’t be the last but we always figure it out and this won’t be any different. Ok?”

He is. He is scared and angry and feels defenseless. But he was scared and angry when he was born, and while not actually defenseless there were times when he felt that way, and just like now there Sam was with the same understanding and compassion. Jack trusted him back then, and he trusts him now.

“Ok”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Not perfect but this is really meant as self-therapy more than anything, that I've decided to share, so I'm happy with it cause I finally got this out of my head and now I can move on and go back to loving Jack.
> 
> Crossposted on my tumblr


End file.
